SINGAPORE - Educators in mainstream schools will be better equipped to support students with special educational needs (SEN).
From July this year, all teachers will get access to bite-sized online learning modules that will help them expand their repertoire of teaching and support strategies to cater to students with special needs, said Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah on Wednesday (March 4) during the debate on her ministry's budget.
Around 80 per cent of students with special needs are taught in mainstream schools, while the remaining 20 per cent with higher needs go to Special Education (Sped) schools, she said.
The Ministry of Education's funding for Sped schools has increased by about 40 per cent in the last five years, but "we can and will do more", said Ms Indranee.
Since January this year, six Sped schools have lowered their fees by at least 25 per cent for Singaporeans.
Three new Sped schools will also be opened, Ms Indranee added.
One will support students with moderate-to-severe special needs who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability, and the other two will be for students with moderate special needs who have ASD and can access the national curriculum.
The MOE is also recruiting more allied educators (learning and behavioural support) to meet needs.
These are non-teaching staff who play a role in developing children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and helping them integrate into mainstream schools through counselling and guidance.
Since July last year, the number of training places for such allied educators increased from 60 to 600 per year.
Currently, there are about 2,000 allied educators, with some 600 specialising in learning and behavioural support across primary and secondary schools.
Other kinds of allied educators include school counsellors, outdoor adventure educators and student welfare officers.
The ministry added: "MOE will continue to grow our pool of allied educators (learning and behavioural support) so that we can better support our teachers in nurturing students with SEN or social-emotional needs."
Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) and Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong GRC) had asked the MOE about increasing support for students with special needs.
Ms Phua had suggested that the ministry "articulate and implement a plan to provide more effective support" for students with special needs who are able to undertake mainstream subjects whether in primary or secondary school, or institutes of higher learning.
"For instance, the SEN funds in institutes of higher learning are only limited to those with sensory disabilities and not extended to those with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyslexia or autism," said Ms Phua, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education.
In response, Ms Indranee said the SEN Fund for polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students - established in 2014 for those with physical or sensory impairment like deafness or blindness - will be extended to include students with learning and language difficulties such as dyslexia, and social and behavioural difficulties such as autism.
About $675,000 has been disbursed under the SEN Fund to benefit over 120 students thus far, said Ms Indranee.
From April this year, students with conditions such as dyslexia can tap the fund to purchase assistive technology devices - such as a reader pen that will help them read out words on a page - up to a cap of $5,000.
The autonomous universities will extend the same support to their students with special needs, Ms Indranee added.
Said the minister: "Feedback on the SEN Fund has been positive. It has helped students to keep up with academic learning and improve day-to-day interaction with peers."
